Burn of Desire
by Sisters-from-hell
Summary: Katara is feeling the lust the moon and age brought along. Single and on an endeavour to bring Toph back home she finds that fire can consume her if not extinguished. Zutara. Maiko and slight Kataang. A bit OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: Mature content up ahead. This fic is rated M for a reason. It is going to be solely sexual content (with a plot of course) but there's going to be lots and lots of sex during this fanfiction. I thought there wasn't enough full length smut fics around and I wanted to write one. This is probably going to be a cliché but I don't care. So if you don't like lemon/lime you shouldn't read this story. With this said I will proceed to cast light into some doubts that may arise. The story is set 6 years after the finale. Zuko is with Mai and Katara is single and very needy for a male companion. And the full moon and tides have something to do with it. Unable to control her desires will she be able to keep away from the hottest male around?**

**This is, most obviously, Zutara, so if you don't like it, do not read!**

**Sorry for the in the beginning but like I said this has a plot. Zutara will unfold. Be ready for kinky stuff going around. And another thing, although I'm not really fond of Mai but I will try to treat her with respect. So any Maikoan that feels that she ins't getting the treatment she deserves, please say so.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last Airbender, it is property of Bryan and Mike and all the other dorks at Viacom and Nickelodeon who totally butchered the ending of this lovely story.**

His body burned for this, the sweet feel of release. His day had been stressful, as well as his month. Fuck, the last three years had been stressful. And she was willing. She was more willing than any woman he had ever met. Not that he had ever done this with anyone else but her, but she was the only woman who would let his weight crush her, and his body invade hers in an onslaught. And he couldn't be happier.

Mai sat facing the mirror in the vanity. Like usual she was setting her mane free, the raven curls swishing around the small of her back. She combed it slowly, and Zuko could feel his anticipation grow. Soon they would be lying in his bed, his body above hers, his mind free from all he had to endure during the day. Elation always made him feel a little bit better and forget about what troubled him.

She got up, her hips swaying in a hypnotic motion coming naturally from years of nobility training. Her digits worked the sash of her red robe. Slowly, as the sash fell, the robe opened slightly to reveal flesh, pale white flesh that he would willingly devour.

The noblewoman's face remained expressionless. She never did get to passionate during their love making. Zuko was used to this though. He knew she loved him but, just like himself, she had some difficulty expressing her true feelings. But he couldn't help feeling hurt sometimes. It was selfish of him, he knew, and Mai showed her love in other ways. Still as she sat upon his lap, the feel of her pressed against him, he let it all go. He needed his release. He was only a man, for Agni's sake!

Her hips swayed slowly, her core pressing up against his forming erection. Suddenly his pants felt too tight for the blood to course free through his legs.

Mai, gracefully, set herself free from the red cloth, the robe tumbling to the ground. Her breasts weren't overly big, but they were enough for him. She was oh, so pale, her pink nipples a nice contrast to the rest of her skin. He took both her mounds into his hands gently squeezing them, his mind falling into the gutter.

He wasn't a gentle lover. His passion roared as hot as the element he controlled, and so his emotions were passionate and violent. The Fire Lord's hands played with her breasts forcefully, but the woman didn't seem to mind.

His thumb started playing with the recently erected flesh and she sighed contentedly.

Her arms were enveloped around his neck and her head was tilted back. He rubbed her nipple between his thumb and indicator finger, sometimes fast other times slowly. No sound came from her mouth, although her breathing was getting shallower. He pinched and stretched her flesh, and in a sudden moment took most of her bosom into his mouth. He sucked on it, his tongue never touching the flesh of his lover. Mai could feel his hot breath mixing with his saliva, sending shivers down her spine. He wasn't the gentlest of lovers, no, but he was an expert at making a woman feel good. Soon after his tongue started playing with the small bud, circling to the right, then the left, moving up and down and in cross movements. She willed his royal attire open, but will itself wouldn't cut it, so her hands expertly worked the intricate outfit. In an instant his chest was bare for her. Her hands roamed up and down, tracing the defined lines of his body. She averted the scar bellow his pectorals, but everything else was charted territory. His hands drifted to her bottom and with no amount of strength she was splayed over his titanic bed. Zuko smirked. Mai lay there waiting for him to ravish her like he always did. At the moment the young firebender didn't mind her lack of enthusiasm, he was only trying to get what he deserved. His mouth found her neck and he suckled her skin. The noblewoman's arms were once again laced around him, but he didn't seem to notice. His mouth trailed south, a trace of hot saliva in his place, the air cooling it, an odd sensation.

He once again played with her breasts, moving his hands, rotating them and pinching. He licked the spot where her boobs met her diaphragm. He kissed the line and continued his scavenge south. She was skinny, and not muscular, there weren't many lines for him to trace, but he did love to kiss around her bellybutton, to lick the flesh and let his spit there as a mark of his affection. Zuko proceeded to her navel. He kissed the lines that marked the beginning of her coccyx. Soon he was kissing the outside of her thighs and next the inside, the heat of her core enticing his skin. Should he give her the breath of live? He looked up at Mai. She was fixed on the ceiling, but her cheeks were flushed and her bosom was moving with new found rhythm. He spread her legs apart and appreciated his view for a moment. She was indeed a woman of noble costumes. There was not a single hair in sight. He pondered for a moment. How would a more, let us say, grotesque woman feel and taste? Her hips jumped and he was taken away from his mind and into the task at hand. With a finger he started playing with her, moving her clitoris in circular movements. Mai's breath caught in her lungs, and left her like a gushing wind against the threes. Another finger played with her opening, rubbing it, pretending entrance and then denying her the satisfaction of feeling something within the depths of her core. He knew she liked this even though she wasn't an emotional woman. Putting her out of her misery his middle finger entered her only to swiftly leave her. It was a game of push and pull. Mai tried to stifle her moans. It was proper for a woman like her to yell like a barbarian in heat. Damned her upbringing. She wanted nothing more than to show her lover how much she wanted him. He

inserted one more finger and kept thrusting, knuckle deep into her. She writhed to meet his hand, the feel of his other knuckles against her button an overwhelming sensation. The Fire Lord could feel her juices around his fingers and swiftly removed them from her. Raising his hand so she could see, he parted his digits, her moisture dripping from them. She blushed even more. It wasn't proper for a lady to see her own fluids. He smirked. His wet fingers traced her lips, and she parted her mouth as they forced themselves into it. She could taste her sweet nectar. Zuko was indeed a sensual lover.

As his hand traced from her lips down to her core his own mouth was already working her, the wetness and heat coming from it enticing her into a state of oblivion. He firstly worked on her clitoris, mimicking the movements he had delivered to her hardened nipples. Her fingers gripped the sheets, still she kept quiet. His tongue then slid inside her openness, moving around her walls, retracting and moving back in, repeating all like a cycle. It didn't get deep enough but it was blissful.

His hands were now inside of his pants, playing with his manhood. He was ready, so very ready.

She felt the cold and saw him strip off his pants. In a second he was between her legs, his hand positioning his penis at her opening. It was swift and fast but he filled her and in that minute she was in heaven. He moved his hips in circles and she could feel his flesh massaging her inner walls. Her arms were once again around him and Zuko kissed her. He started moving in and out, his phallus growing harder inside her. He was moaning lightly, sometimes the small sounds overshadowed by grunts and puffs of noisy air. He pushed inside her, up to his base, his full length deep within her, and then ground his hips against hers. He stayed put for a minute or so then retreated fully only to invade her in full force once more. He cupped one of her breasts, the other being worked by his mouth, his teeth scrapping her skin as his penis entered her at full speed and force. Mai kept quiet, but screamed inside her mind, told him to completely have her. She knew he understood her just by looking in her eyes. Great displays of affection and lust were not needed.

He grabbed her legs and stood on his knees, pushing her bottom up to meet his hips. Once again he thrust deep into her, his mouth tight shut. He moved more rapidly, using his legs do give him momentum. Her mounds juggled around and her breath was ragged. The firebender's hair clung to his forehead and his body now shimmered in the candle light. With one last move, his hips crashed against hers and she shivered, wave after wave of pleasure invading her just as he had. Her mind was blank, there was nothing more than blissful emptiness at the moment. After a while she could feel his member leaving her and his seed combined with her own juices spilling from her entrance.

He eyed his semen coming from her, his breath labored and his muscles sore. Zuko let his body fall to the bed, beside her. His release had finally come.

The female looked at him through half lidded eyes. She needed to take herbs first thing in the morning. The truth was they still weren't married, and she couldn't afford to carry a child out of wedlock. What the people would do to her and Zuko. His arms laced around her and he kissed her neck. After a long while they were both in deep sleep.

ºoºoºoºoºoº

She had been single for over a year now. Aang and her both had grown up to become very different people, and unfortunately their relationship didn't survive the change they both suffered. But there was no point in investing time in something both knew was never going to work out, even if they still harbored feelings no friends should feel for each other. And that's when things started getting complicated. Katara was way over her marrying age and there was a hidden need in her, need for a companion. The older people in her tribe, people that had come from the north had started conspiring against her, saying she needed a husband, a man to take care of her. Everyone in her tribe had started gossiping, word spreading like wildfire-which was something to say, seeing they lived in an icy tundra, the ocean just ten feet away- it her situation was unheard of. She was not only pass the marrying age but also she was the chieftain's daughter. It was only proper for her to marry. Word was all around the village "The poor girl, already surpassed marrying age! She'll never find a man." They said. Her biggest problem, although, was the unshakable need that had taken hold of her. Her grandmother had once told her that women of water could not stay without a man for very long. It was made them so fertile, the unshakable lust that coursed through their veins. As a woman she had needs- and yes she was a woman now. At twenty she never had experienced the heat of a man's embrace, and most women her age had already one or two babies, a loving husband and a household to run. Not that she needed to settle right away but there was this need inside of her. Her biological clock had started ticking the moment she saw Yue, her niece, two months ago. And with the clock came the cravings for a male body. It left her longing for something, and her culture wasn't of any help. Women usually sat with each other- as the men set off to hunt and fish for the month- and they were all too happy but to talk about their sexuality. It was true her tribe was somewhat reserved, seeing as they didn't really undress for intimacy, but being a familiar community, the women felt comfortable to share tales about their sexual adventures, detailing them a little bit too much for Katara's liking. She had started a practice she never had before, she started masturbating. At first it was weird and awkward but then it became invigorating and she loved the sense of orgasm. Of course she had found a technique to take the most out of this: fantasize.

She would fantasize about any number of things and people.

She closed the leather that served as a door to her big ice hut, and lay on the pelts. Here in the South Pole the summers were cold and winters colder, so she couldn't wear flimsy night attires. They were, in fact very similar to the parkas they used during the day. Yet, it didn't stop her. Her hands played with her breasts, rubbing, squeezing, pinching. She was thinking, her imagination wild.

Jet was caressing her breasts, on the same three houses she had fallen for him. He was naked and he was hot. "Oh, Jet" she muttered to him as he kept himself busy with her mounds. His fingers played with her harden nipples, the unnatural shade of pink against her mocha skin. She sighed and moaned to his every ministration. His lips were playing with hers, their tongues dancing a very intricate type of dance. She could feel her senses cloud over. His mouth travelled down her jaw and he placed butterfly kisses down her neck. He moved upwards, his lips sucking her flesh into his mouth, a red swell marking her as his.

He moved to her collar, sucking at the bones that lightly stuck out and next kissed her shoulder's length, sucked, licked. She was going to lose it.

"OH JET!" She screamed in her mind as he found her breasts with his mouth. She looked down and was overwhelmed to see Haru, sucking, biting, playing. He was naked and she could see his lightly dark skin glisten in the moonlight. She moaned loudly, her hands playing with his auburn hair.

"Yes, just like that! Oh that feels so good." The waterbender cried out. In a bold move, the earthbender found her flower and started toying with her. She arched her back, her breathing worked, her voice lost to the sweet caress. Oh, how good this feels! His fingers played with her clitoris and she tugged at his hair.

"Yes! More!" He smiled down at her, taking her breath away. He kissed down her flat stomach, defined by feminine muscles, created by her waterbending training. He licked the lines that defined her sternum, the lines that marked her ribs, the line from her breasts down to her belly button. He traced that path with his tongue, his saliva hot against her cool skin. Her throat hitched, and she suddenly felt parched. The sounds Katara emitted were becoming indistinct, and she emitted them more frequently. He kissed her hips and her navel, unwrapping her lower biding to reveal a bush of brown. The water maiden blushed. She knew girls form higher social status back at the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation all shaved down there, but here, in the cold, the women didn't care much about such things, and Haru didn't seem to mind either. He smiled down at her and took her core into his mouth. Her back arched and she grabbed what was around. Her head was sustaining her weight but she didn't care about the nasty neck ache she would get after this. The waterbender grabbed the man's hair and pushed her hips toward him, willing him further and granting better access to her.

"Easy there peasant!" Katara looked down and saw Zuko's eyes glint with mischief. She smiled at him! "Oh, Zuko!"

"We have all the time in the world."

"Are you going to do me?" She asked, her hands grabbing his face.

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes! Oh, yes! I want you to do me, Fire Lord!" With that she kissed him fiercely, tasting herself in his mouth. Their tongues clashed, like the waves hitting the shore on a stormy night. She loved that he was so passionate. Fire was in fact his element, she mused.

"I want you inside me!" She whispered, her voice hoarse with excitement.

He smirked and in a swift movement he had filled her with his manhood. She imagined he was big, what big was, she had no idea, she never had seen a man naked.

He moved with brute force, her body being shoved up and down. Katara could see her breasts wiggle and that made her even hornier. Lacing her arms around the firebender's neck she pushed herself up and looked deep into his eyes.

"Faster!" The water maiden demanded and he willingly obeyed. She could feel his entire length inside her, back and forth, back and forth, like the tides. Oh Tui, that felt so good.

"I'm going crazy!" The waterbender almost screamed and after what seemed like a smirk she could feel his lips force against hers.

Katara helped him, using his shoulders as leverage, to move her hips. There was sweat flying all around them and the sound of his body crashing into hers. It was true, she was going slowly mad.

The girl bit his lip and he pulled her hair hard. She grunted, and felt him kiss her neck. His hands were on her shapely bottom and from time to time he would squeeze or slap it. Katara loved it.

"Yes, Zuko, yes….I'm near!" In fact she was. The waterbender could feel her loins tighten around the man's cock. Oh Tui and La, she was so very near.

In an outburst of screams and frantic movements she came, her fluids falling from his shaft to his testicles and surrounding area. Katara was panting. Her head nestled against the crook of his neck. She felt his rapid breathing, his muscled torso heaving against her own, crushing her delicate organs. Gathering her strength she straightened and looked him in the eyes.

"That was amazing!" The Fire Lord just smiled and kissed her.

Katara was panting, one hand upon her breast the other between her legs. It was the third time she imagined she was coming on Zuko's member, but her foggy mind didn't let her linger too much on the subject. Her legs were shaking, and her mind was still vague. Slowly she got up and bended some water form a nearby basin to wash her fluid covered hand.

The waterbender slumped down on her pelts, her body exhausted from orgasm. She recalled her fantasy as she fell asleep, much more rested than before.

ºoºoºoºoºoºoºoºoº

"Katara, there's a letter for you from Suki and Sokka!" Hakoda called, smiling at his daughter. She had just finished her lesson. From a few years back to this moment she had been teaching some kids waterbending. Gran Pakku- as Sokka started calling him-thought it would be a good thing to have a woman teaching the younglings. A new era of peace also needed a new era of mentality he had claimed, and after meeting the daring young woman his view on female waterbenders dramatically changed. The village had turned into a big trading port and was almost as big as their sister tribe up north. Some northern people had come and build their homes here and everything was good. Katara, of course, had taken upon herself to help as much as she could and two months earlier she had even delivered her niece. Sokka and Suki had gone to visit Kyoshi Island and show Yue around, and without Aang the waterbender spent most of her time with her students or alone.

Katara grabbed the letter and eagerly read it. She smiled at her father.

"I'm glad they are coming home soon!"

The chief nodded and handed her another letter.

"This is from Aang!" His brow creased. Wearily, she took the letter and opened the scroll.

"Dear Katara.

Things in the Earth Kingdom have been going on smoothly. King Bumi says hi. I've been under much work. It's been hard calming some uprising and some Fire Nation citizens are being hunt all throughout the Continent. Another thing has left me quite distressed. Upon talking with Poppy Bei Fong after stopping by to see Toph, I learnt she had fled again. After much inquire I discovered she was heading towards the Fire Nation to meet up with Zuko…I mean Fire Lord Zuko. It still is hard for me to address him by his title.

I thought you would like to know about Toph. And I know what you are thinking right now, so if you do decide to go after her and kick her back to where she belongs ( and I stress it's home with her parents) we can meet up there in four months. If not I will see you in roughly half a year. I miss you dearly and wish I could be with you right now.

Much love, Aang.

P.s: I just got you the most wonderful gift. I hope I can give it to you sooner rather than later. "

Katara re-read the letter and frowned.

"What is it?" Hakoda was no fool. He saw the way his daughter's jaw clenched, the stubborn glint in her eyes. He sighed. She was more like her mother than she would ever know.

"Father, can you have a ship ready by tomorrow morning?"

The man just nodded silently. There was no way into talking her out of whatever idea she had just had. He hoped the Avatar hadn't said the wrong thing, because if Katara was as much as Kanna as she was Kya then he was in deep trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

The Fire Nation was more than hot this time of year and the waterbender was afraid her garments didn't fit the weather. She could feel the sweat pooling up between her thighs and under her arms. And of course the immense layers worn for such occasions as meeting nobles did nothing to ease the situation. She was stuck in a bureaucratic mess, meeting after meeting and request paper after request paper for an audience with the Fire Lord and it was getting on her nerves. She had been his friend for over five years and these people needed to know every single intention she had when meeting him. Damn, she just wanted to ask him about Toph and if he could pretty please give her a room so she could spend what would end up being a whole month convincing the blind earthbender to go home. The water maiden frowned. This was ridiculous. The elegant old man in charge of foreign policy stared at her, as if trying to perceive how much of a threat she really was. Maybe, just _maybe_, if she had spent more time acting as a liaison between the Southern Water Tribe and the rest of the world, this wouldn't be happening. But _no!_ She had settled down in her little tribe, helping along, living the normal, uneventful life she had always dreamed of (with the occasional vacation with Aang, but nothing too much). Sokka had been the one in charge of the task. His father was proud, and, although Water Tribe tradition claimed only the best warrior succeeded the chieftain, her brother was on a very straight path to becoming her father's successor. He was smart and brave and he now knew more about tradition and politics in the Fire Nation than everyone else from her tribe. So _why_ was she the one there? Oh yeah, _Toph!_ Katara fumed. If it hadn't been for the blind girl, she wouldn't be in this Tui forsaken land with no chance of changing her outfit until the palace liberated her a room. Yes, she _could _go and find a seedy motel, or an inn but after spending over three hours trying to get the Fire Lord to meet her, she wasn't about to give up.

But as time dragged on, Katara clearly understood she wouldn't see Zuko anytime soon. And she wouldn't be getting a room any time soon. And for that fact she wasn't going to be able to talk to Toph and actually make her go back home. And instead of spending a whole month in the dry heat of the Fire Nation she would have to_ extend_ her visit, something the waterbender wasn't too keen on doing.

She sighed and glared at the tall man. It wasn't his fault, she was sure. Perhaps a measurement the young Lord had installed to minimize the risk he was taking upon meeting people he didn't know. Katara couldn't help but think that the former General, Iroh, would be an asset at the Fire Lord's side. But he was content with his tea shop, and knowing Zuko as she now knew, it was clear he would never ask his benevolent uncle for help. _Ever!_

"My Lady?" Katara shook her head slightly and looked up at the man, his dark brown eyes boring into her, concern upon his face.

_Spirits! _ The female thought. She had been drifting in her own thoughts and made no effort to listen to what the man was saying.

"I'm sorry."She bowed, deeply embarrassed. "Can you, please repeat what you said?"

The man sighed. He had no time for crazy little girls.

"My Lady, the Fire Lord is very busy. There have been some matters of utter urgency that he cannot ignore. It's going to be impossible for our mighty Lord to give you an audience for at least four months."

_Four months? Were they kidding her? She was not going to wait to speak to him for a whole four months._

"Can't I at least get a room until he is able to speak to me? You see, my business isn't with the Fire Lord, but a guest he is housing."

The man, Wun, she latter remembered, rose an eyebrow and eyed her quizzically.

"I am a close friend of Lady Toph Bei Fong, and her parents sent me to retrieve her. They are worried sick and were unable to travel to the Fire Nation, themselves."

It was a plain white lie, she knew, but perhaps referring to people of such high status in the Earth Kingdom would reassure the man of her importance. She had none, she knew but this was the only chance.

"It is highly unorthodox, but I can send note to Lady Bei Fong about your presence."

Katara smiled and nodded, thankful at the breakthrough.

"I would very much appreciate it, Sir." She was dead tired, and hot, and sweating. A warm bath and a bed would be wonderful right about now.

Wun sighed. This woman was too stubborn for her own good. She would never wed if she kept this up. Nobody wanted a woman which didn't know when to back down and be quiet. None the less he nodded and, in an elegant bow, he found his leave.

Katara, mentally, did a small victory dance. Her body was worn out from journey, and she probably stank right now, so getting a room was everything she was concentrated on.

o.0.o.0.o.0.o.0

"My Lady, I'm sorry but Lady Bei Fong claimed she didn't know you!"

_WHAT? THEY HAD TO BE KIDDING HER!_

"That is impossible, Lady Bei Fong and I have been close friends for many years now." She frowned. That little _wench._

"I'm sorry, my Lady but there is nothing more I can do." Wun looked at her with an apologetic bow. _I'm so going to water whip Toph on the head!_ If she was a firebender steam would be coming out of her every hole. "Isn't there a way I can get a time with her?"

"I'm sorry, but it is not my duty to arrange for someone other than our great Lord"

"Hmmm." Katara was getting sick of this game. "Please. I'm sure there must be something you can do."

"I really am sorry, my lady. But I'm also very busy and if neither the Fire Lord nor Lady Bei Fong are available to meeting you then there's nothing more I can do" His tone was firm. She was sure he was also fed up with the situation.

"Fine!" She bowed and walked away. Her bags had been left at the end of the room and she grabbed them. It was very fortunate she was used to travel light or it would make her sweat even more.

Katara left the large red room and walked through the corridors. It had been easier to find the room than the exit and she found herself lost in the huge palace. It had been more than five years since she had visited and her memory wasn't enough to navigate her through the huge hallways. Her mind was elsewhere when she bumped into someone, being sent straight onto the floor.

"Ouch!" The waterbender exclaimed, looking up to see who she had bumped into. "I'm so sorryI was dis….."

Lady Mai, Zuko's girlfriend was looking down at her, expression as neutral as she had always been.

"Master Katara, it's an honor to see you again!" She claimed her upbringing very much evident in her tone.

"I'm really sorry, Lady Mai!" She said taking the other woman's outstretched hand and getting herself to her feet.

Mai tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm here to see Toph, but I had no luck getting a room since Zu…." She caught herself. "Fire Lord Zuko is very busy and couldn't receive me."

"Hummmm." The other woman eyed her as if accessing her. "Perhaps I can help out. As much as I…_enjoy…" _Katara didn't really like that tone. "her company, I feel she should go back and resolve things with her parents."

Katara nodded as she looked up at Mai. Even though the waterbender had grown to her full height she was still at least 10 centimeters shorter than the Fire Nation woman. She had become more beautiful that Katara remembered. Her hair was longer and somehow she looked even more regal than she had years ago. Still she was as nonchalant as she had always been.

The Water Tribe girl followed the other, always a few steps behind her, but close enough not to get lost.

Mai walked slowly, her back as straight as humanly possible, her hair swinging around the small of her back.

"I'm sure no one will mind if you have this room." The female pointed towards the door. "Make yourself at home, Master Katara. I'll be sure to inform the Fire Lord of your presence tomorrow. If you feel like it you can join us for breakfast."

Katara nodded. She would need to polish up on her vocabulary for her presence here at the palace. Everyone seemed to be better at words than her.

"If you need to find Lady Bei Fong's room just ask any guard around. Tell them Lady Mai sent you to find her and no questions will be asked." The waterbender nodded and Mai bowed slightly, as befitting of a woman with her status, before retreating. Katara watched her leave, before pushing the tall wooden doors open. The room was probably one of the smallest rooms in the palace. There was a bed in front of her, leaning against the far wall. Of course the wallpaper was in red, but this was a lighter shade of red, one she wasn't accustomed seeing in the Fire Nation. There was a bedside table on the right side of the bed and a candle atop of it. There were a few unlit torches scattered around the room, a vanity and a big wooden wardrobe near a door on the left side of the room and next to it a screen for her to change. There was a carpet in front of the bed and a few plants in precise places. Katara dropped her bags and walked towards the door. Inside there was a small bathroom, with one of those shower things she had heard of, pool for bathing, a toilet, a sink and some shelves with many bottles of colored glass.

The girl sighed and walked towards the bed, letting herself fall on the very soft mattress. She was so tired from her journey. Katara loved the ocean but almost three and a half weeks on a ship were tiring and boring and left her smelling very strangely.

It didn't take long until Katara was sound asleep, safe in the dream world.

o.0.o.0.o.0.o.0

She could feel the moon rising in the night sky. Her hair was tousled and her head was bursting with a mind grain. She could smell the foul odor of sweat and walked towards the small bathroom. The Fire Nation was very technologically advanced, and that meant life was a lot more comfortable here. There was an intricate web of pipes that fed the kitchen and the bathrooms with hot water. She opened the faucet and smiled as the water run into the pool she would bathe in. Katara moved to the shelves and smelled the content of each container. She settled for the orange flower fragrance (one of her favorites) and poured a few drops into the water. Undressing slowly, she stepped into the warm water sighing contentedly at the feel of her element. Her muscles were to tense and she rubbed them to loosen the knots that had formed during her journey. She rested her head on the brim of the pool and closed her eyes. Her ex-boyfriend flashed into her mind. They had shared a very intimate, but clothed, moment in the baths at the Western Air Temple a couple of years before. She blushed and looked around the room. Nobody was expecting her. And since Mai had installed her without telling anyone, she wouldn't have to worry about servants, at least for now. Flicking her wrist she made the water move against her bud, massaging it with some pressure. The waterbender bit her lip not to moan. She couldn't have anyone finding out about her _"activities". _The water kept moving, increasingly faster until she reached her zenith. Katara felt a bit ashamed and after washing herself profusely, she got out of the pool, bending the water faster into the drain.

She bended herself dry and put on some clothes. She would probably have to go to the market and buy some that were appropriate for this weather for as soon as she put them on she could feel the heat taking over her. _Yes, Water Tribe weather was so much better._

She walked out of her room determined to find her friend. Judging by the pull of the moon, she estimated it was dinner time. _Yep, she had overslept, as usual._ Katara frowned as she once again got lost in the intricate hallways of the Fire Nation palace.

"Hey Sweetness. It's been a long time no?" She heard the earthbender's voice from behind her. Her pitch had changed, but if Aang had grown so had Toph, Katara supposed, turning around.

"Toph. It's so nice to see you!" She hugged her friend, who was taller than her now. It seemed Water Tribe people were shorter than everyone else.

"Yeah. Nice to see you too!" The Earthbender sounded amused.

"I'm not Sokka!"

"Thank the gods!" Toph chuckled. Now that Katara could fully see her, she couldn't help being amazed at the change Toph had suffered. Not only was she taller, she was also very, _very_ feminine. Her breasts had developed fully, and although they weren't as big as Katara's, they were very noticeable. Her hips now protruded to the sides and her waist had slimmed down. Her hair was long and straight, like an ebony sea of silk threads. Toph's lips were also fuller, plump and her face had lost the distinctive girlish roundness. For a moment, Katara wondered if she had changed that much. She frowned.

"You told that man you didn't know me!" Her tone was pitched. Toph just snorted.

"I know why you are here. And I don't need it."

The waterbender crossed her arms. "Toph this is just crazy. You can't run away every time you and your parents have an argument. Especially to the Fire Nation. Zuko cannot afford to meddle in business like that. Your parents are powerful, Toph, if they decide he kidnapped you…." She was cut off by a retreating Toph. "Can it Sugar Queen. I told you I don't need it. I'm and adult now. I don't need sermons. Besides it's time for dinner and I'm still hoping Sparky will make it out of those stupid meetings he has." Katara followed her, a frown still gracing her features. "And he didn't mind taking me in. He was actually very hospitable."

"He is your friend. Of course he wouldn't say no." The waterbender rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes. But he is the Fire Lord first and, I'm sure you'll notice Zuko changed slightly. He thinks really hard before making any decision. And like you said this one could potentially put him in a soft spot."

Katara opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. When had Toph developed such a mature train of thought?

o.0.o.0.o.0.o.0

The food was placed upon the table, the five servants running around it, serving the three people sat for dinner. Mai was there with them, but no sign of Zuko. The soup in front of her was steaming and she could feel the sweat beading around her brow. There was fish and vegetables scattered all around the table. It was a small one. Good for, probably six people. She was sure this wasn't where the Fire Lord held his famous banquets. She had to admit, she was curious about them. A few years after Zuko took the throne, word of his famous political feasts had travelled the world and reached as far as the Southern Water Tribe via Sokka. They were said to be luxurious and amazingly entertaining. Mai sipped her soup quietly, and while Toph had apparently grown into the eighteen year old girl she was, her manners had yet to be improved. Her slurping sounds invaded the silent room and Katara had to bite the inside of her cheek not to wince at the noise. Nonetheless, the Fire Nation noble seemed unbothered by the sounds and lack of finesse, never averting her eyes from the soup.

"Hm…."Katara started lightly. "What's the soup made of?" She hoped she wasn't making a fool of herself. Mai looked up at her, her expression always neutral

"Lotus Roots with Mung Beans in Dried Octopus Soup. It's a delicacy here in the Fire Nation."

"Oh!" The waterbender breathed as she took a spoon full of soup into her mouth. It was delicious. The lotus roots gave it a very flowery taste but it wasn't unpleasant. It was actually very light, as opposed to what she thought she would encounter in the Fire Nation palace. Usually Fire Nation food was heavily spiced. Too much for her taste, seeing Water tribe food was almost always bland.

Dinner was awkward, and Katara couldn't help feel like she was intruding into someone else's established life. But she had needed to leave the South Pole if only for a little while and of course she had been worried about her friend. It was a bit selfish of her, she supposed, but the thick air of hearsay that had fallen upon her tribe about her was too uncomfortable for her to bear. Maybe when she got back, people had forgotten about her marital status, and perhaps she would meet a nice Water Tribe man who would make her very happy. But that was very wishful thinking. Almost every single man her age was from the North, and she had to admit she hated the way they perceived women. Not only that but they usually never compared to Aang. Yes, he _plagued her mind_ _at_ every single moment. She was far from being over him.

Katara still remember the inner courtyard of the palace. She and Aang had made out one or two times there a short while after the war ended. In the beginning the Avatar had to make sure the Fire Nation, that meaning Zuko, would keep its word. It was stressful, but the young firebender had changed his mind so many times, they had to make sure he wouldn't this time around, after inheriting so much power. And responsibility. The Fire Nation was advised, more like _forced_, to pay settlements to the nations victims of war. And that meant every single one. They had to pay both Water Tribes, Omashu, Ba Sing Se and every outer province of the Earth Kingdom a monthly fee to make up for the hundred years of war. They also had established trade routes, and apart for its own protection, the Fire Nation was force to dismantle their army. Zuko never spoke against any of the other's demands, and Aang, always the peace bringer had to almost coerce the offended nations to diminish their demands.

And that was the beginning of the end for her relationship. The constant flying around, bringing peace and healing to the world had taken a toll on their relationship, even though they still loved each other very much. But the distance, the neglect and the growing up was too much for love alone to bear. So they split their ways.

Katara stood in front of the large pond in the courtyard. Zuko had shown her and the Gaang his favorite part of the palace, and just like the young Lord, she had taken a special liking to the place. It wasn't as much as it was made of water but it was so meaningful. The little turtle ducks, that now were absent (_she took a mental note to ask Zuko about it later)_ were a symbol of life and happiness and that meant a lot to her. In a swift motion of her arms and hips, she lifted a decent sized sliver of water and bended it around her. It was fresh and clean and mixed with the scent of her orange flower oil, it spread an addicting perfume through the air.

She heard rustling behind her and taking a defensive stance she turned.

"Who is there?" She said voice fierce and unwavering. She had grown into a very confident woman. She was a master waterbender, after all.

She was met with no answer and upon catching another sound she sent her water whip in that general direction but no one was there.

Katara bended the water back into the pond and hugging herself, she walked back to her room. Maybe she had imagined it.

It took her a couple of hours to find her room. "_This place is like a maze"_ she thought.

Undressing quickly and throwing her robes atop of the chair near the vanity, she slumped in her warm bed.

"Tomorrow I must pay a visit to the market. Perhaps I can try and talk some sense into Toph as we walk together. I'll invite her along" The female smiled to herself at the thoughtful plan.

But as she drifted off into sleep, she couldn't help but feel like she had actually been watched back at the pond.

**Thanks for the reviews. I've decided to make some changes to the first chapter. I hope you like this one and please review. **


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